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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. E. FLETCHER. BICYCLE.

No. 4OL339.

PatentedApr. 16, 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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BICYCLE. 110.401,33). Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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(NoModel.) 3 Sheets-sheets. R. H. FLETCHER. BICYCLE.

No. 401,339. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

RICHARD HENRY FLETCHER, OF SOCORRO, TERRITORY OF NEV MEXICO.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,339, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1888. Serial No. 292,106. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HENRY FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Socorro, in the county of Socorro and Territory of New Mexico, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bicycles, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to bicycles designed as rest-s or supports in running or walking on stilts; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and specically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a viewof a bicycle embodying my invention, showing the manner of operating the same. Fig. 2 is a rea-r view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of aportion of the device to show the steering device. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the head and a portion of the backbone. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the brakelever. Fig. G is a similar view of the brakeshoe. Fig. 7 is a view of the guide-bar for the steering-lines, showing the same applied to the backbone. Fig. 8 is adetached detail view of the head and the spindle upon which it is mounted.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates the frame of the machine, having the backbone c, which is bifurcated at its rear end and bent downward to form the forwardly-inclined forks B B, between the lower ends of which the main wheel C is mounted. The front end of the backbone terminates in a sleeve, d', and D designates a horizontal bifurcated brace-rod, having the rear ends of its arms d d lixed to the lower ends of the forks, and terminating at its front end in a sleeve, d', aligned with the sleeve d. The steeringrod E is mounted in the said aligned sleeve, and is provided at its upper end with the cross-bar e, and the steering wheel F is mounted in the bifurcated lower end of the steering rod in any suitable or preferred manner.

A clip, G, is secured to the backbone near the upper ends of the forks, and is provided with tightening-bolts g g, whereby the clip may be adjusted longitudinally on the backbone to arrange it closer to or farther from the forks, and on a vertical spindle, H, on the upper side of the said clip is mounted the tubular head l, to which are attached the adjacent ends of the handles K K. The threaded upper end of the spindle H is engaged by a nut, h, to hold the head in place thereon, or any other suitable and well-known means may be adapt-ed to accomplish this purpose. The right and left handles are connected, respectively, to the right and lett arms of the cross-bar e by the steering-lines L L, whereby when the handles are moved by the rider the steering-rod is revolved and the machine is steered in the desired direction. These steering-lines pass at intermediate points through guide-eyes fm m on the extremities of a guide-bar, M, which is connected to the backbone between the head and the steeringrod by a suitable clip, M. This clip is also provided with adj listing-bolts m. fm', whereby the guide-bar may be arranged at any desired point of the backbone. The front ends of the lines are connected to the cross-bar e by means of the sheet-metal clips O O, which are passed around the said bar and have their free ends connected by the short bolts o o. The front ends of the lines are arranged between the said free ends of the clips, and are engaged by the bolts o, which pass therethrough. The rear ends of the steering-lines are provided with eyes 19 1J, which are arrfnged between the free ends of loops P P, which are connected at their closed free ends to the handle s by means of the clips Q; and 19 19 represent transverse bars extending through the eyes on the rear ends of the lines and provided at their extremities with eyes 132 122, fitting over the free ends of the loops. The free ends of the loops are threaded, and are engaged by 9o suitable adjusting-nuts, 193 193, which bear against the eyes on the ends of the bars 19 and enable the steering-lines to be tightened when they become loose by continued use.

R R represent small plates secured between the members of the clip G, and provided at their rear projecting ends with the registering bearings fr r; and S represents a bifurcated brake-shoe, the solid curved portion of which passes over the main wheel, and is adapted to be depressed againstthe same, and the rear ends of its arms are provided with lateral trunnions or pivots s s, which are mounted in the bearings fr o. To remove the roo brake-shoe, it is necessary to remove one of the plates R.

T represents the brake-lever, the arms t of which are arranged under the handles K K .Within reach of the fingers of the operator,

and the front ends of the said arms are mounted on lateral studs t t on opposite sides of the head. The front ends of the arms of the brake-lever are bent downward and terminate in a forward-extending loop, U, having a curved front end, which bears on the front end of the brake-shoe, and engages upward-extending hooks s s on the said shoe. The Weight of the arms of the brake-lever normally holds the free end of the brake-shoe elevated out of contact With the wheel, and when the free ends of the said arms are elevated the free end of the brake-shoe is depressed on the tire of the Wheel.

The stilts V V (shown in Fig. l) are provided With stirrups n o and vertical arms 'u' n', which are adapted to be secured to the legs of the operatorby means of straps WV W.

Having secured the stilts firmly in place, the operator grasps the handles of the machine and pushes the same before him, and as the handles are arranged in front of the center of the main Wheel the operator is enabled to rest his Weight on the handles, and thereby support himself.

Having thus described the invention, I claiml. In a bicycle, the combination, With the frame having the main Wheel mounted therein, of the steering-rod mounted on the frame, and provided at its lower end With a steering- Wheel and at its upper end with a cross-bar, the steering-handles attached to a revolving head, and the steering-lines connecting the handle with the corresponding arms of the said cross-bar, substantially as specified.

2. In a bicycle, the combination, With the frame having the backbone a, bifurcated at its rear end to form the forks B B and terminating at its front end in a sleeve, and the brace-rod terminating at its front end in a sleeve, and having the extremities of its bifurcated rear end fixed to the lower ends of the forks, and the main Wheel mounted between the said forks, of the steering-rod mounted in the said sleeves and having a steering-Wheel mounted on its lower end, and the handles connected to a revoluble head and connected to the said steering-rod, substantially as specified.

3. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame A, having the main Wheel mounted thereon, and the steering-rod provided at its lower end with a steering-Wheel and having a cross-bar, c, at its upper end, of the handles K K, secured to a revoluble head, the guide-bar secured to the frame of the bicycle between the head and the cross-bar e, and the steeringlines connected at their front and rear ends, respectively, to the cross-bar and the handles, and passing at intermediate points through guide-eyes on the extremities of the said guide-bar, substantially as specified.

4. In a bicycle, the combination, with the vided with a steering-wheel and a cross-bar,4

e, of the clip G, adjustably mounted on the backbone and provided with a vertical spindle, the headv mounted on the said spindle, and the handles K K, attached to the head and connected to the arms of the cross-bar -e by the steering-lines L N, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame having a backbone, a, the main Wheel mounted in the frame, and the steering-rod mounted on the frame and provided with a steering-Wheel and a cross-bar, e, of the guidebar M, provided at its center with a clip, M', adj ustably mounted on the backbone and provided at its ends with the guide-eyes m m, the handles attached at their adjacent ends to a revoluble head in rear of the said guidebar, and the steering-lines connecting the handles to the arms of the cross-bar e, and passing at intermediate points through the guideeyes m fm, substantially as specified.

6. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame having the main Wheel mounted thereon, and the steering-rod provided with a crossbar, e, and having the steering-Wheel mounted onits lower end, of the handles K K, connected to a revoluble head which is mounted on the frame, the steering-lines connected at their front ends to the arms of the cross-bar e, the loops P P, connected at their rear closed ends to the handles, 'the transverse bars p', secured to the rear ends of the steering-lines and provided With eyes p2 p2, fitting over the free ends of the said loops, and the adjustingnuts engaging the threaded extremities of the loops, whereby the steering-lines may be tightened, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame having the main Wheel mounted thereon, and the steering-rodprovided with a crossbar, e, and havinga steering-Wheel on its lower end, of the clips O O on the arms of the crossbar, the steering-lines engaged at their front ends in the said clips, the handles K K, connected to a revoluble head, the clips Q on the said handles, the loops P, engaged at their rear ends in the clips Q, the transverse bars p', extending through eyes on the rear ends of the steering-lines and provided with eyes 192 p2, Which fit on the free ends of the loops, and the adj ustin g-nuts engaging the threaded eX- tremities of the loops and bearing against the eyes p2, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8,. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame having the main Wheel mounted thereon, and the steering-rod provided With asteering-Wheel, of the handles K K, attached to a IIO main wheel mounted between the lower ends of the forks, andthe steering-rod mounted on the front of the frame and provided withv a steering-Wheel, of the head mounted on the frame in front of the forks, and Jche handles connected to the steering-rod, substantially as specified.

10. In a bicycle, the combination, with the frame, the main Wheel,aud the steering-rod provided with a steering-Wheel, of the revolulole head mounted on the frame and provided Wit-h handles KK, which are connected to 'che steering-rod, the bifurcated brake-shoe S, having the rear ends of its arms pivoted to the frame and provided at its free end with the hooks s s', and the brake-lever having the arms t t, pivoted to opposite sides of the revoluble head and terminating at their front ends in the curved loop U, Which engages the hooks s s on the brake-Shoe, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim Jche foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD HENRY FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER BREISACHER., PERRIN C. FADDIS. 

